THE CRUCIFIXION AND THE RESURRECTION, WHICH D

“But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Matthew 12:39-40

 Many people, for the reason of the tradition of "Good Friday and Easter Sunday" have assumed that Jesus died on Friday and resurrected on Easter Sunday. Few have ever thought to question this. Because Jesus said that He would resurrect on the third day, some people count part of Friday as one day, Saturday as the second and part of Sunday, as the third day. But when we investigate the scriptures, we find that Christ spoke about the period of time as three days and three nights. From Friday evening until Sunday morning, are not three days and three nights! Which then is the correct explanation?

 There were no eye witnesses of the resurrection. Even the so-called "Apostolic Fathers" did not have any more sources and information then the records that are available to us today. Tradition must be dismissed. It wasn’t until the death of the last of the twelve apostles (John) that the tradition of "Good Friday and Easter Sunday" started spreading in the churches. What are the recorded facts?

 The Pharisees were asking Jesus for a sign; evidence to prove that He was the true Messiah. Jesus answered: “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matt. 12:39-40, 16:21). Now consider the tremendous importance of the overwhelming significance of Jesus’ statement. He expressly declared that the only sign He would give to prove He was the Messiah was that He would be just three days and three nights in the sepulcher.

 These Pharisees who refused to admit the investiture of Christ demanded proof, Jesus offered but one proof. That proof was not the fact of the resurrection itself. It was the length of time He would be in the grave, before resurrecting. Think what this means! Jesus staked His claim to being the Saviour upon remaining exactly three days and three nights in the grave, but if He failed in this sign, He must be rejected as an impostor! No wonder Satan has caused unbelievers to scoff at the story of Jonah and the Whale! This one and only supernatural proof ever given by Jesus for His Mesiahship has bothered the commentators and critics. They attempt to explain away this sole proof for Christ’s divinity. For explain this away they must, or their “Good Friday-Easter” tradition collapses!

 One commentator says, “of course we know that Jesus was actually in the tomb only half as long as He thought He would be!” Some imposes on us to believe that in the Greek language, in which the N.T. was written, the expression, three days and three nights, means three periods, either of day or of night! Jesus, they say, was placed in the tomb shortly before sunset Friday, and rose at sunrise Sunday morning, two nights and one day.

 The Bible definition of the duration of nights and days is simple. Even the critics admit that in the Hebrew language, in which the book of Jonah was written, the expression “three days and three nights” means a period of 72 hours, three twelve hour days and three twelve hour nights. Notice Jonah 1:17: “And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights!” They admit it was a period of 72 hours, and Jesus distinctly said that as Jonah was three days and three nights in the great fish’s belly, so He would be the same length of time in the grave! Did Jesus know how much time was in a day and in a night? Jesus answered, “are there not twelve hours in a day...but if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth” (John 11:9-10).

 The Bible definition of the expression, “the third day” text after text tells us that Jesus rose the third day. Notice how the Bible defines the time required to fulfill, “the third day” (Gen. 1:4-13).

 “And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected of the elders and of the chief priests, and scribes and be killed and after three days rise again” (Mark 8:31). If Jesus had been killed on Friday and then after one day He had risen, the resurrection would have occurred on Saturday evening. If after two days it would have occurred Sunday evening and if after three days, it would have occurred Monday evening. Examine this text carefully. You cannot figure any less than a full 72 hours in a resurrection which occurred three days after the crucifixion! (Mark 9:31; Matt. 27:63; John 2:19-21) If we are to accept all the testimony of the Bible, we must conclude that Jesus was exactly three days and three nights, three full 24 hour days, 72 hours in the grave.

 Now notice carefully this fact: in order to be three days and three nights in the tomb, Jesus had to be resurrected at exactly the same time of day that His body was buried in the tomb! If we can find the time of day of the burial, then we have found the time of day of the resurrection! If the burial, for instance, was at sunrise, then for the body to be left an even three days and three nights in the tomb, the resurrection likewise had to occur at sunrise, three days later. If the burial were at noon, the resurrection was at noon, etc.

 The crucifixion day was called “the preparation” or day before the Sabbath (Mat. 27:62; Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54). This day ended at sunset, according to Lev. 23:32. Jesus cried out soon after “the ninth hour” or 3:00 p.m. (Matt. 27:46-50; Mark 15:34-37; Luke 23:44-46). Yet Jesus was buried before this same day ended, before sunset (Matt. 27:57; Luke 23:52-54). John adds, “There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews’ preparation day.” According to the laws observed by the Jews all dead bodies must be buried before the beginning of a Sabbath or feast day. Therefore Jesus was buried before sunset on the same day He died. He died shortly after 3:p.m. The burial of Christ’s body was in the late afternoon! It was between 3 p.m. and sunset as these scriptures prove. And since the resurrection had to occur at the same time of day, three days later, the resurrection of Christ occurred, not at sunrise, but in the late afternoon, near sunset.

 The first investigators, Mary Magdalene and her companions, came to the sepulcher on the first day of the week (Sunday) very early, while it was yet dark, as the sun was beginning to rise, at dawn (Mark 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 20:1). These are the texts that most people have supposed stated that the resurrection was at sunrise Sunday morning. When the women arrived, the tomb was already open! At that time Sunday morning while it was yet dark, Jesus was not there! Notice how the angel says, “He is not here, but is risen” (Mark 16:2; Luke 24:6; Matt. 28:5-6). Jesus was already risen at sunrise Sunday morning! He rose from the grave in the late afternoon, near sunset! And since Christ was buried late Wednesday afternoon and that the resurrection took place at the same time of day three days later, we now know the resurrection of Christ occurred late Saturday afternoon.

 Jesus was crucified on Wednesday, the middle day of the week. He died shortly after 3 p.m. that afternoon; was buried before sunset Wednesday evening. Now count the three days and three nights. His body was Wednesday, Thursday and Friday nights in the grave, three nights. It also was there through the daylight part of Thursday, Friday and Saturday, three days. He rose Saturday, the Sabbath, late afternoon, shortly before sunset, at the same time of day that He was buried! It is significant that in Daniel’s prophecy of the “seventy weeks” (Dan. 9:24-27), Jesus was to be cut off “in the midst of the week.” It is significant that Jesus was also “cut off” on the middle day of a literal week.

 Now we come to an objection some may raise, yet the very pint which proves this truth. Perhaps you have noticed that the Bible say the day after the crucifixion was a Sabbath. Hence, for centuries, people have assumed the crucifixion was on Friday. We have seen by all four Gospels that the crucifixion day was called “the preparation.” The preparation day for the Sabbath. But for what Sabbath? It was the preparation of the Passover (John 19:14, 31).

 Just what is a “high day”? Ask any Jew! He will tell you it is one of the annual holy days, or feast days. The Israelites observe seven of these every year, every one called a Sabbath! Annual Sabbaths fall on certain annual calendar dates and on different day of the week in different years, just like the Roman holidays now observed. These Sabbaths might fall on Monday, on Thursday, or on Sunday (Leviticus 16:31; 23:24, 26-32, 39). Notice Matthew 26:2, if you will follow through this chapter you will see that Jesus was crucified on the Passover! And what was the Passover? In the twelfth chapter of Exodus you will find the story of the original Passover. Following the Passover was a holy convocation or annual Sabbath (Num. 28:16-17). The Passover lamb, killed every year on the 14th of the first month called “Abib,” was a type of Christ, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. Christ is our Passover, sacrificed for us (I Cor. 5:7).

 Jesus was slain on the very same day the Passover had been slain every year. He was crucified on the 14th of Abib, the first Hebrew month of the year. And this day, the Passover, was the day before, and the preparation for, the Feast day, or annual high day Sabbath, which occurred on the 15th. of Abib. This Sabbath might occur on any day of the week. Frequently it occurs, and is observed even today, on Thursday. For instance, this “high-day” Sabbath came on Thursday in 1982, 1989, 1992, 2001, 2005, 2013 and will occur on Thursday in 2018.

 The Hebrew calendar shows that in the year Jesus was crucified, the 14th of Abib, Passover day, the day Jesus was crucified, was Wednesday. And the annual Sabbath was Thursday. This was the Sabbath that drew on as Joseph of Arimathea hastened to bury the body of Jesus late that Wednesday afternoon. There were two separate Sabbaths that week!

 According to Mark 16:1, Mary Magdalene and her companions did not buy their spices to anoint the body of Jesus until after the Sabbath was past. They could not prepare them until after this, yet after preparing the spices they rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment! (Luke 23:56).

 Study these two texts carefully. There is only one possible explanation: After the annual high-day Sabbath, the feast day of the days of Unleavened Bread, which was Thursday, these women purchased and prepared their spices on Friday, and then they rested on the weekly Sabbath, Saturday, according to the commandment (Ex. 20:8-11). A comparison of these two texts proves there were two Sabbaths that week, with a day in between. Otherwise, these texts contradict themselves.

LA PASCUA Y LAS TRADICIONES RELACIONADAS

“Guárdate que no tropieces yendo en pos de ellas, después que sean destruidas delante de ti; no preguntes acerca de sus dioses, diciendo: De la manera que servían aquellas naciones a sus dioses, yo también les serviré.  No harás así a Jehová tu Dios; porque toda cosa abominable que Jehová aborrece, hicieron ellos a sus dioses…” Deuteronomio 12:30-32

Sabemos por las Escrituras que el viernes no fue el día de la crucifixión y que la mañana del  Domingo de Pascua no fue el tiempo de la resurrección, como algunos piensan. Si esto no es el verdadero fundamento para la observación de la Pascua, ¿De dónde vino la observación de ese día? ¿Qué del pescado en viernes? ¿Los primeros cristianos pintaban huevos o compraban panes calientes en forma de cruz? ¿Acaso Pedro y Pablo ordenaron que se celebrara un culto matutino en este día? ¿De dónde vienen estas costumbres?

Cada viernes muchos católicos se abstienen de comer carne, sustituyéndola por pescado en recuerdo de la crucifixión del Señor. Algunos calendarios marcan los viernes con un pez, los restaurantes casi siempre ofrecen pescado en los viernes. Esto de comer pescado los viernes es supuestamente para conmemorar la muerte de Cristo el día viernes. Muchas doctrinas y ritos de la Iglesia Católica Romana, fueron adoptados del paganismo. Fue este el caso de los viernes y del pescado. Las Escrituras nunca asociaron los viernes con el pescado. En cambio, hay evidencias de esta idea básica en las filosofías de los paganos.

La Palabra “viernes” viene del nombre “Freya”, la cual era conocida como la diosa de la paz, el placer y la fertilidad, por los antiguos paganos. Como su símbolo de fertilidad, elpez era considerado sagrado por esa diosa. El pez había sido conocido como el símbolo de la fertilidad desde tiempos muy antiguos. Así era entre los antiguos Babilonios, los Asirios, Fenicios, Chinos y otros. La palabra pez viene de la palabra “Dag”, que implica aumento o fecundación. La razón por la cual el pez fue usado como símbolo de la fertilidad es porque tiene un alto índice de reproducción y por esta razón fue asociado por los Romanos con Freya, la diosa de la fertilidad, cuyo día conmemorativo era el viernes. De ahí viene la palabra inglesa “friday”, que significa viernes; de ahí podemos empezar a ver el significado de los viernes y del pez.

A la diosa de la fertilidad, los Romanos la llamaban Venus. Del nombre de esta diosa Venus (Veneris) deriva la palabra moderna viernes. El viernes era considerado como su día sagrado por que se creía que el planeta Venus reinaba sobre la primera hora del viernes. Para hacer el significado más completo, el pez era considerado la ofenda consagrada a ella.

En vista de estas cosas referentes al hecho de que el viernes sea considerado desde tiempos antiguos como un día santo del paganismo, que el pez sea su símbolo sagrado y que la Iglesia Católica Romana ordenara el ayuno de carne y su sustitución por pescado los viernes, es algo más que una simple coincidencia. Y ello se hace patente después de haber comprendido que Jesús no murió en viernes, sino en miércoles, lo que indica que hay otra razón para esto mandamientos de la Iglesia aparte de la muerte del Señor. 

La palabra  “Pascua” viene de la palabra Griega Pascha, la fiesta ordenada por Dios (Lev. 23:27-44) como recuerdo de la salida de Israel de Egipto.

El Domingo de Pascua es celebrado con varias costumbres que provienen de Babilonia, tales como el pintar huevos de varios colores, éstos se esconden y los niños los buscan para comerlos. ¿Pero de dónde proviene esta costumbre? ¿Tiene algo que ver los huevos con Cristo o con Su resurrección?

¡El huevo es un símbolo sagrado que usaron los babilonios! Creían en una vieja fábula acerca de un huevo de gran tamaño que se suponía había caído del cielo al Río Eufrates. De este maravilloso huevo fue engendrada la diosa Astarté. Por eso el símbolo del huevo llegó a ser asociado con esta diosa (en el inglés se usa Easter). De Babilonia la humanidad se llenó de estas creencias y toda la tierra recibió la influencia de la idea del huevo místico; por esto hallamos el huevo como un símbolo sagrado en muchas naciones.

La Enciclopedia Británica dice: “El huevo, como un símbolo de fertilidad y de renovación de la vida, proviene de los antiguos egipcios y persas, quienes también tenían por costumbre el colorear huevos y comerlos durante su festival de primavera”. No se puede discutir el hecho de que el huevo es un símbolo sagrado y parte de las festividades paganas desde tiempos atrás.

¿Cómo llegó entonces esta costumbre a ser asociada con la cristiandad? De igual manera como otros ritos fueron adoptados por la “Iglesia” para acercar el paganismo a la fe cristiana, buscando alguna similitud entre tales costumbres y algún evento cristiano. Así, en este caso, se sugirió que al igual que un pollo sale del huevo, ¡Cristo salió de la tumba! De esta manera los líderes apostatas dijeron al pueblo que el huevo era un símbolo de la resurrección de Cristo. El papa Pablo V decretó una oración en conexión con el huevo. “Bendice, oh Señor, te pedimos, a esta tu creación de huevos, que sean sustento a tus siervos, comiéndolos en recuerdo de nuestro Señor Jesucristo”. Otra mezcla que pasó a la Babilonia moderna y ha llegado a ser una costumbre de nuestros días.

Así como el pez fue asociado con la diosa como señal de fertilidad sexual, también el huevo y el conejo eran otro símbolo de fertilidad y nueva vida. Cuando lo analizamos es trágico que simbolismos viciosos como éstos hayan llegado a ser relacionados con la cristiandad, cuando en realidad estas cosas no tienen conexión alguna con el verdadero cristianismo.

La opinión común es que este servicio en honor de Cristo es debido a que Él resucitó en la mañana del Domingo de Pascua, ¡al salir el sol! Pero ya sabemos por las Escrituras que la resurrección de Cristo no ocurrió al amanecer, ya que siendo aún oscuro María Magdalena llegó al sepulcro el primer día de la semana (Juan 20:1). 

Había un tipo de culto pagano al amanecer conectado con la “adoración al sol.” No queremos decir con esto que los hermanos de hoy  que celebran cultos matutinos están adorando al sol. Pero sí decimos que  tales prácticas en la mañana del Domingo de Pascua son una obvia mezcla del paganismo con la cristiandad.

En el Antiguo Testamento, el pueblo de Dios fue llevado en cautiverio a Babilonia debido a su mezcla de paganismo y culto al sol. Dios les indicó esto por medio del profeta Ezequiel (Ez.8:16). En este verso vemos que el pueblo que había conocido a Dios, había permitido que esta mezcla de culto solar entrara y corrompiera su culto al verdadero Dios. El mismo nombre de Easter (en español Pascua), viene de la diosa de la primavera. De esta palabra sajón tenemos en español la palabra “Este”, que es el lugar donde sale el sol.

Dado que el Señor Jesucristo, resucitó en realidad, y como su resurrección tuvo lugar en primavera, aunque un poco antes del festival pagano de viejos tiempos, no fue muy difícil para la Iglesia del siglo IV (para esta época ya se había apartado de la verdadera Iglesia Apostólica) mezclar el rito pagano de la primavera con la celebración cristiana de la resurrección del Señor. De este modo ambos lados eran atraídos a la Iglesia profesante. Hablando de esta unión, la Enciclopedia Británica dice: “El cristianismo incorporó en su celebración de la gran fiesta cristiana muchos de los ritos y costumbres paganos del festival de primavera pagano”.

La evidencia cristiana es clara: la presente costumbre de la Semana Santa no es cristiana. Sus costumbres son simplemente una mezcla de paganismo con cristiandad. Algunos creen que podemos tomar estas costumbres y usarlas para dar honor a Cristo. Después de todo, razonan, ¿no piensan la mayoría de los cristianos en Cristo durante esta temporada? A pesar de que los paganos adoraban al sol de cara al Este, ¿no pueden los cultos matutinos ser en honor de la resurrección de Cristo? ¿No resucitó verdaderamente el Señor el domingo por la mañana? Y a pesar de que el huevo era usado por los paganos, ¿no podemos continuar con su uso para simbolizar la gran roca redonda que estaba enfrente de la tumba? En otras palabras, algunos hermanos creen que podemos tomar todas estas ideas y creencias paganas y en vez de aplicarlas a dioses falsos, usarlas para dar gloria a Cristo. A primera vista, parece ser un buen razonamiento, ¡pero esta idea e añadir costumbres paganas al culto del Dios verdadero, está absolutamente condenada por la Palabra de Dios! (Deut. 12:30-32).  Claramente entonces, Dios no quiere que añadamos nada a su culto. El no quiere que usemos costumbres y ritos que los paganos usaron, aunque arguyamos que es en su honor.

Habiendo adoptado el festival pagano de primavera de Ishtar o Easter en la Iglesia apóstata, fue natural el adoptar también la antigua costumbre del ayuno que precede al festival de primavera. Este período de cuarenta días antes de la Pascua, se conoce como Cuaresma. En tiempos pasados estos cuarenta días eran observados con llantos, ayuno y maceraciones por Tammuz, a fin de renovar sus favores, para que saliera del centro de la tierra, terminara el invierno y causara el principio de la primavera.

Cuarenta días de abstinencia o Cuaresma era conocido y practicado por los adoradores del demonio en el Kurdistán, quienes heredaron la costumbre primaveral de sus maestros, los babilonios. Esta costumbre era conocida también entre los paganos mexicanos, los cuales acostumbraban tener un “ayuno de cuarenta días en honor del sol”. Entre los paganos  esta Cuaresma parece haber sido indispensable antes del gran festival anual en memoria de la muerte y resurrección de Tammuz. La Cuaresma es considerada igualmente importante en la religión católica romana.

La Cuaresma es una doctrina cuyas raíces son el paganismo de Babilonia y no tiene ninguna base bíblica. Cuando el paganismo y el cristianismo fueron mezclados, poco a poco la Cuaresma pagana fue unida a la Iglesia profesante. Se decía que era para dar honor a Cristo y no a los dioses paganos. Naturalmente que las gentes que no comprenden el “misterio” de todo esto, piensan que el Festival de Primavera y todas sus costumbres son seguramente de origen cristiano y de gran virtud. La realidad, no obstante, es que la Biblia y la historia antigua enseñan todo lo contrario.

EASTER AND RELATED TRADITIONS

“Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, how did these nations serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods…” Deuteronomy 12:30-32 

We know by the Bible that Friday was not the day of the crucifixion and that Easter Sunday morning was not the time of his resurrection, as is so commonly assumed. If this is not the true foundation for the observance of Easter, from where did Easter observance come? What about Friday and fish? Did the apostles ever observe Easter? Did the early Christians dye Easter eggs or go to the bakery and buy hot cross buns? Did Peter or Paul ever conduct an Easter sunrise service? Where did all of these customs come from

Catholics are strictly required to believe that Friday was the day of the crucifixion and that they have to abstain from meat, substituting fish in its place! Many calendars are thus marked with fish on Fridays, restaurants almost always offer special fish dinners on this day. This Friday fish eating is supposedly to commemorate the Friday death of Christ. Many doctrines and rites have been adopted into the Roman Catholic Church from paganism; it is not surprising that attempts were also made to “Christianize” certain popular pagan days and their accompanying customs. This has been the case with the Friday and fish eating practice. The Bible never associates Friday with fish. But, there is evidence of this basic idea among the philosophies of the pagans!

The word “Friday” comes from the name of “Freya”, who was regarded as the goddess of peace, joy, and fertility by the ancient pagans. And as the symbol of her fertility, the fish was regarded as being sacred to her! The fish has from very early times been a symbol of fertility. It was a well known symbol of fertility among the ancient Babylonians, as well as the Assyrians, Phoenicians, the Chinese, and other nations. The word “fish” comes from the word “dag” implying increase or fecundity. The reason the fish was used as a symbol of fertility is seen by the fact that it has a very high reproduction rate. From ancient times, the fish has been a symbol of sexual fertility, and thus was associated with the Goddess of fertility, Freya-Friday!

The Romans called the Goddess of sexual fertility by the name Venus. And it is from the name of the Goddess Venus (Veneris) that we get our modern word Friday. Friday was regarded as her sacred day, because it was believed that the planet Venus ruled the first hour of Friday. To make the significance complete, the fish was also regarded as being sacred to her.

 In view of these things concerning Friday being named after the Goddess of sexual fertility, Friday being the day that from olden times was regarded as her sacred day, and since the fish was her sacred symbol, it seems like more than a mere coincidence that to this day, Catholics are taught that Friday is a special day, a day of abstinence from meat, a day to eat fish!

The word “Easter” appears once in the King James Bible (Acts 12:4). The original word that is here translated “Easter” is “pascha” which is the Greek word for Passover. And has no connection with the English word “Easter.” The KJV Bible is the only version that has inserted the word Easter instead of Passover in this text. It is not a Christian expression. This word comes from the name of a Pagan Goddess, the goddess of spring. Easter is a more modern form of Ishtar or Astarte. The name of the Spring Festival, “Easter”, is definitely paganistic.

Many traditional customs and observances of this season originated in paganism also. A good example of this can be seen in the well known usage of the Easter egg.  Eggs are colored, hid, hunted, and eaten on Easter. Where did this custom of using eggs at this season begin? Did the Christians of the New Testament dye eggs? Do eggs have anything to do with Christ or his resurrection? Such usage is completely foreign to the Bible.

The egg was a sacred symbol among the Babylonians! They believed an old fable about an egg of wondrous size which was supposed to have fallen from heaven into the Euphrates River. From this marvelous egg, according to the story, the Goddess Astarte (Easter) was hatched. So the Easter egg symbolizes the Goddess Easter. From Babylon, humanity was scattered to the various parts of the earth and with them they took the idea of the Mystic Egg. Thus we find the egg as a sacred symbol among many nations.

The Encyclopedia Britannica says, “The egg as a symbol of fertility and of renewed life goes back to the ancient Egyptians and Persians, who had also the custom of coloring and eating eggs during their spring festival.” None can dispute the fact that the egg as a sacred symbol has been a part of pagan festivities from ancient times.

How did this custom come to be associated with Christianity? Its adoption into the Roman “church” is but further evidence of the great compromise that was made with paganism, a compromise to gain popularity with both sides! Apostate leaders attempted to find some similarity between the pagan custom and some Christian event; so in this case, it was suggested that as the chick comes out of the egg, so Christ came out of the tomb! Thus, church leaders told the people that the egg was a symbol of the resurrection of Christ! Pope Paul V even appointed a prayer in connection with the egg! “Bless, o Lord, we beseech thee, this thy creature of eggs, that it may become wholesome sustenance unto thy servants, eating it in remembrance of our Lord Jesus Christ.” And so another “mixture” passed into Modern Babylon and has in turn become a part of our present day customs.

Now even as the fish was associated with the Goddess as a sign of sexual fertility, so also, the egg was but another symbol of fertility. When we think about it, it is tragic that such vile symbolism came to be associated with Christianity, when in reality such things have no connection with true Christianity at all! Just as the fish and eggs were fertility symbols of the Mystery religion, so also is the Easter rabbit a symbol of fertility and of the renewal of life. The rabbit is associated with the moon. The Egyptian word for rabbit is “UM” which means “open” and “period”, the rabbit is associated with the idea of periodicity, both lunar and human and with the beginning of new life in both the young man and young woman.

The common assumption is that Easter sunrise services honor Christ because He rose on Easter morning just as the sun was coming up! We know from the Bible that the resurrection did not occur at sunrise (John 20:1).  Since our Lord’s resurrection did not take place at dawn, then surely this is no basis for sunrise services.

There was a type of sunrise service that was a part of old pagan customs connected withsun-worship! We are not implying that Christians today literally worship the sun when they have sunrise services. What we are saying is that such practices on Easter morning are an obvious mixture of paganism with Christianity.

In the Old Testament, Gods people went into the Babylonian captivity because they mixed sun-worship rites into their worship. God showed this to the prophet Ezekiel; “And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east (Ez. 8:16). In this verse we see people that had known God, yet they allowed this mixture of sun worship to enter in and defile them.

The name “Easter” comes from the name of the pagan goddess of SPRING, and this was the time of her festival. She was regarded as the goddess of the rising light in the east, as the very word “East-er” shows. The English EASTER is at all events connected with the east and sunrise. Thus the dawn of the sun in the “east”, the name “Easter”, and the spring season are all connected.

Since Jesus, in reality did rise; and since his resurrection was in the spring of the year, though slightly earlier than the pagan festival of olden times, it was not too hard for the church of the fourth century (now greatly departed from the Apostolic Faith anyway) to merge the pagan spring festival into Christianity, attaching the various phases of it to Christ. In this way, both sides were coaxed into the professing “church.” In speaking of this merger, the “Encyclopedia Britannica” says: “Christianity...incorporated in its celebration of the great Christian feast day many of the heathen rites and customs of the spring festival”, the ancient pagan festival!”

The evidence then is clear: today’s observance of Easter is not purely Christian. Its customs are plainly a mixture, a mixture of paganism and Christianity. Some feel, however, that we can take these various customs and use them to honor Christ. After all, it is reasoned, do not most Christians think of Christ at this season? Though the pagans worshipped the sun toward the east, could not we have sunrise services to honor the resurrection of Christ, even though this is not the time of day that he rose? And even though the egg was used by pagans, can’t we continue its use and pretend it symbolizes the large rock that was in front of the tomb? In other words, some brothers feel we can take all of these pagan beliefs and ideas, and instead of applying them to the false gods as the heathen did, we will use them to glorify Christ. At first glance, this might seem like good reasoning. But this idea of adding pagan customs into the worship of the true God is utterly and absolutely condemned in the Bible! (Dt. 12:30-32).  Plainly then, our God does not want us to add anything to his worship. He does not want us to use customs and rites that the heathen used, even though we might claim to use them to honor Him.

Having adopted the pagan spring festival of Ishtar or Easter into the fallen church, it was but a natural step to adopt the old “fast” that preceded the Spring Festival also. Today, this period of forty days before Easter is known as lent. In olden times, these forty days were observed with weeping, fasting, and self-chastisement for Tammuz, to gain anew his favor so he would come forth from the underworld, end winter, and cause spring to begin.

The forty days’ abstinence of lent was known among the Devil-worshippers of Koordistan who inherited the spring observance from the Babylonians. Such an observance was also known among the pagan Mexicans who observed “a solemn fast of forty days in honor of the sun.” Among the pagans this lent seems to have been an indispensable preliminary to the great annual festival in commemoration of the death and resurrection of Tammuz. To the world that does not understand the “mystery” of all of this, they think that lent and days of “abstinence” are of Christian origin and are of great virtue. But in reality, just the opposite is the teaching of the Bible and reason.

¿QUIEN FUE SAN PATRICIO?

Es común en muchos lugares públicos en los Estados Unidos de Norteamérica, como centros comerciales, restaurantes, etc., encontrarnos en el 17 de Marzo de cada año, con gente vestida de verde o adornando su lugar con tréboles verdes, cosa que parece extraño a algunas personas, pues muchos desconocen el origen de esta tradición. Pero así como en muchos países alrededor del mundo dedican algún día del año para honrar a un “santo”, el gente de Irlanda dedica el 17 de Marzo para celebrar a su santo patrono, celebración adoptada por los Estados Unidos de Norteamérica. Y así como la santa patrona de México es “La Virgen de Guadalupe, el santo patrono de Irlanda es “San Patricio.” Inclusive, así también como se realizan procesiones en honor a “santos y vírgenes”, también se lleva a cabo este día un desfile en honor a “San Patricio”.

Nos remontaremos en la historia para saber un poco de la vida de San Patricio, quien nació en Bretaña alrededor del año 380, de una familia romana y rica. A los 16 años fue capturado por piratas y vendido como esclavo en Irlanda donde permaneció seis años, hasta que pudo escapar y regresó a su hogar, con la idea de volver un día a Irlanda para compartirles el cristianismo católico, por lo que estuvo en el monasterio de Lérins, en una isla al sureste de Francia; y así inició la labor de compartir su doctrina a casi todos los Irlandeses. Se dice que fundó 300 congregaciones y bautizo 120,000 personas.

Las enciclopedias dicen que muchas historias de San Patricio están basadas sólo en leyendas. Una de ellas cuenta que encantó las víboras de Irlanda hasta llevarlas al mar donde se ahogaron. También se dice que él plantó en toda Irlanda tréboles para ilustrar la idea de la trinidad. De ahí viene que mucha gente use el trébol como amuleto de buena suerte y también que se vistan de verde el 17 de Marzo. Los Irlandeses se ponen un trébol en la solapa este día; y aun más, el emblema nacional de Irlanda es un trébol, que la gente de ahí afirma es el resultado de dicha leyenda, aunque el “Dictionary of Symbols”de Jack Tresidder, declara que puede ser consecuencia del respeto que los paganos celtas tenían por el vigoroso crecimiento de la planta. Cada año que transcurre, podemos apreciar que esta celebración se va extendiendo más. Periódicos anuncian festejos en bares de la ciudad, donde hasta tiñen la cerveza de verde.

Algunas ciudades aquí en los Estados Unidos tienen catedrales que llevan el nombre de San Patricio. En la bahía de Westport, en Irlanda, sobre una meseta, se eleva el pico Croagh Patrick, también con una estatua además de una capilla en su honor, pues creen que ahí fue donde inició su ministerio. Hasta este sitio que está a unos 3,500 pies de altura aproximadamente, se realiza una peregrinación cada año, el último domingo de Julio, en la que mucha gente escala la montaña descalza, pensando que con tal sacrificio obtendrán mayores indulgencias de parte de su intermediario, en este caso, de San Patricio.

Patricio realmente no es un Santo, habiendo nunca sido oficialmente canonizado por la Iglesia de Roma. Y Patricio no podría haber impulsado las serpientes de Irlanda, porque, como Hawái, nunca hubo serpientes allí en primer lugar. No fue aún el primer evangelista a Irlanda. Patricio ni siquiera es irlandés. Él era de Escocia.

La conclusión a la que llegamos en cuanto a la celebración de este tipo de tradiciones, es que al hacerlo, se está apoyando el dar honra y gloria a los “santos”, en vez de dársela a Dios; y así, la gente se aparta cada vez más de la fuente de toda bendición, que es Cristo, sin saber que no existe una sola Biblia que dé crédito a la manifestación de algún santo después de muerto; por lo contrario, la Biblia nos enseña que cualquier persona, después de muerta, ninguna comunicación tiene con este mundo (Eclesiastés 9:5; Job 14:21); también nos enseña que es abominación para Dios cualquiera que consulta a los muertos (Deuteronomio 18:11-12).

WHO WAS SAINT PATRICK?

It is common in many public places in the United States, such as shopping malls, restaurants, etc., to find that on March 17 of every year, people dressed in green or adorning their homes with green clovers, which seems strange to some people, since many of them do not know the origin of this tradition. But just as in many countries around the world that dedicate a day of the year to honor a “saint”, the people of Ireland dedicates March 17 to celebrate their Patron Saint, a celebration that was adopted by the United States. Just as the Patron Saint of Mexico is "The Virgin of Guadalupe", the Patron Saint of Ireland is “Saint Patrick.” Inclusive, in the same manner that processions are held in honor of "saints and virgins", like wise a parade is held on this day in honor of “Saint Patrick”.

We will go back in the history to know a little of the life of Saint Patrick, who was born in Britain around the year 380, of a rich Roman family. At the age of 16 he was captured by pirates and sold as a slave in Ireland where he remained for six years, until he was able to escape and returned to his home, with the idea of returning one day to Ireland to share the catholic faith, this is why he was in the monastery of Lerins, on an island to the southeast of France; and this way he initiated the work of sharing his doctrine to almost all the Irish. It is said that it founded 300 congregations and baptized 120,000 persons.

The encyclopedias say that many stories of Saint Patrick are based only on legends. One of them tells that he charmed the snakes of Ireland taking them to the sea where they drowned. It is also said that he planted throughout Ireland clover to illustrate the idea of the trinity. Hence it is from this that a lot of people use the clover as a good luck charm and also dress in green on March 17. The Irish put a cloverleaf on their lapel on this day; and even more, the national emblem of Ireland is a clover, that the people say is the result of that legend, although the "Dictionary of Symbols" of Jack Tresidder, declares that it can be the result of the respect the heathen Celtic had for the vigorous growth of the plant. Every year that passes, we can see that this celebration is spreading more. The newspapers announce celebrations that are held in bars, where they even have green beer. 

Some cities here in the United States have cathedrals which bear the name of Saint Patrick. In the Bay of Westport, in Ireland, on a plateau, the peak of Croagh Patrick rises, also with a statue as well as a chapel in his honor, since they believe that it is here where he began his ministry. Up to this place that is approximately 3,500 feet high, a pilgrimage is held every year, the last Sunday in July, in which many people scale the mountain barefoot, thinking that by such a sacrifice they will obtain greater indulgences on behalf of their intermediary, in this case, Saint Patrick.

Patrick isn't really a Saint having never been officially canonized by the Church of Rome. And Patrick couldn't have driven the snakes out of Ireland because, like Hawaii, there were never any snakes there to begin with. He wasn't even the first evangelist to Ireland. Patrick isn't even Irish. He was from Scotland.

The conclusion to which we come as for the celebration of this type of traditions, is that to do so is supporting give honor and glory to the "saints", instead of giving it to God; and thus, the people separate increasingly from the source of all blessing, which is Christ, without knowing that there is not a single Bible that exist that gives credit to the manifestation of a Saint after his death; on the contrary, the Bible teaches us   that any person, after they are dead, has no communication with this world (Ecclesiastes 9:5; Job 14:21); it also teaches us that anyone who consults with the dead is an abomination to God (Deuteronomy 18:11-12).

ME SIENTO IMPOTENTE

“Porque no nos ha dado Dios espíritu de temor, sino de poder, de amor y de dominio propio.” II Timoteo 1:7

Una de las cosas que he venido a entender en mis muchos años en el ministerio es que un sentido de impotencia es la raíz a todas las emociones negativas. Si usted se siente impotente de hacer algo de su pasado, se siente culpable. Si usted se siente impotente de cambiar su futuro, se siente con miedo y si usted se siente impotente de cambiar su presente, se siente deprimido. Cuando usted siente que las circunstancias de su vida no se cambiarán, usted se siente enojado. En mis años de asesoramiento he aprendido que la depresión, el miedo, la culpa y la ira son las más poderosas emociones negativas que la gente experimentará en su vida, y todos ellos vienen de un sentido de impotencia.

El pensar que no hay mucho que podemos hacer en cuanto a nuestras finanzas, nuestras circunstancias, nuestra salud, etc., nos encarcela para aceptar y tolerar una vida mediocre y débil. Mucha gente generalmente acepta que hay áreas de sus vidas que son impotentes de controlar. No tienen ningún poder para escoger en algunas situaciones. ¿Aún es cierto esto? La impotencia es la sensación de no tener control sin ninguna aparente solución que nos ayude a recobrar el control. La mayor parte de personas quieren ser poderosas, pero han tolerado una existencia impotente, sólo porque ellos nunca han realizado que poderoso realmente son. La palabra poder viene de la palabra griega: “dunamis”,  que significa capacidad, posibilitar. Necesitamos pedirle a Dios que nos ayude vencer ese sentimiento de impotencia.

Tenemos que aceptar la verdad de que Dios no nos ha dado un espíritu de cobardía, sino de poder, de amor y de dominio propio. Esto ha sido hecho ya. Tenemos el poder de vencer por medio del Espíritu de Dios. Usted tiene que creer que este poder está en usted. Efesios 3:20 dice: “Y a Aquel que es poderoso para hacer todas las cosas mucho mas abundantemente de lo que pedimos o entendemos, según el poder que actúa en nosotros”. Hay poder en usted que permite que Dios haga  más allá de lo qué nosotros podemos pedir o pensar.

Darle a Dios algo con que trabajar. Usted tiene que pensar y pedir. Ya que él puede hacer más allá, tenemos que darle una base donde El puede comenzar. Limitamos a Dios cuando no pensamos grande y pidamos grande. Hechos 1:8 dicen, “Pero recibiréis poder, cuando haya venido sobre vosotros  el Espíritu Santo...” Este poder ya está en usted. Gracias a Dios para Su Espíritu en usted. Romanos 8:11 dicen, “y si el Espíritu de aquel que levantó de los muertos a Jesús mora en vosotros”.

No le ponga límite a Dios. El Salmo 78:41 dice que Israel limitó al Señor. Ellos lo limitaron, porque no recordaron Su poder (v.42). Desatamos la mano de Dios para bendecir cuando recordamos sus bendiciones anteriores. El salmo 103 dice; “no olvides ninguno de Sus beneficios”. Nunca subestime el poder de Dios. Espere hoy para que el poder de Dios lo fortalezca; espere ser dirigido hoy por Su Espíritu. Limitamos lo que Dios puede hacer en nuestras vidas, cuando disminuimos nuestras expectativas. ¡Abrace este poder!

¡Piénselo y dígalo! Dios no nos ha dado un espíritu de cobardía, sino de poder, de amor y de dominio propio. Tenemos el poder en nuestras vidas ahora mismo. En Cristo, tenemos el poder para vencer el pecado; el poder para cambiar nuestra vida para lo mejor, el poder para ser sanado; el poder para perdonar; el poder para alabar a Dios pase lo que pase; el poder para hablar la Palabra de Dios y ver Sus promesas realizadas en mi vida. Tenemos que pensar grande y pedir grande, y por lo tanto el poder del Espíritu de Dios dentro de nosotros, lo traerá a pasar en nuestras vidas.

Dios quiere que nos ayudemos a nosotros mismos y Él hará el resto como lo hizo con Josué. Usted puede hacer todas las cosas en Cristo que lo fortalece” (Filipenses 4:3). Usted decide recordar lo que Dios ha hecho que quitara los límites de su vida y sus expectativas. ¡Espera el favor hoy, la sabiduría, el entendimiento, y la bendición de Dios!

I FEEL POWERLESS

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (II Timothy 1:7)

One of the things that I have come to understand in my many years in the ministry is that a sense of powerlessness is the root to all negative emotions. If you feel powerless to do anything about your past, you feel guilty. If you feel powerless to change your future, you feel afraid and if you feel powerless to change your present, you feel depressed. When you feel that the circumstances of your life will not change, you feel angry. In my years of counseling I have learned that depression, fear, guilt and anger are the most powerful negative emotions that people will experience in their lives, and all of them come from a sense of powerlessness.

The thought that there’s not much we can do about our finances, our circumstances, our health, etc. imprisons us to accept and tolerate a mediocre and weak life. I’ve been thinking how we generally accept that there are areas of our lives that we are powerless to control. We have no power to choose in some situations. Yet is that true? Powerlessness is the sensation of being out of control with no apparent solution to help us to regain control. Most people want to be powerful but have tolerated a powerless existence, just because they never realized how powerful they really are. Power comes from the Greek word: “dunamis”, which means ability, enablement. We need to ask God to help us to overcome that feeling of powerlessness.

We must embrace the truth that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but power, love and a sound mind. This has already been done. We have the power to overcome through God’s Spirit. You have to believe that this power is in you. Ephesians 3:20 says: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us”. There is power in you that permit’s God to do beyond what we can ask or think

Give God something to work with. You have to think and ask. Since he can do beyond, we have to give him a base to begin with. We limit God when we don’t think big and ask big. Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you...” This power is already in you. Thank God for His Spirit in you. Romans 8:11 says, “And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you”.  

Don’t limit God, Psalm 78:41 says that Israel limited the Lord. They limited Him, because they did not remember His power (v. 42).  We free God’s hand to bless when we remember his previous blessings. Psalm 103 says to not forget His benefits. Never underestimate the power of God. Expect today for God’s power to strengthen you; expect to be led by His Spirit today. We limit what God can do in our lives, when we lower our expectations. Embrace this power.  

Think it and say it! God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. We have power in our lives right now. Through Christ, we have the power to overcome sin; the power to change our life for the better, the power to be healed; the power to forgive; the power to praise Him no matter what; the power to speak God’s Word and see His promises fulfilled in my life. We have to think big and ask big, and therefore the power of God’s Spirit within us, will bring it to pass in our lives. God wants us to help ourselves and He will do the rest like with Joshua. You can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4:3). You choose to remember what God has already done which takes the limits off of your life and your expectations. You expect favor today, wisdom, understanding, and God’s blessing!